In All the Water in the World, Nonie’s father and mother repeatedly reference the Hermitage Museum during the Siege of Leningrad when discussing their preservation efforts in Amen. During World War II, a 900-day blockade occurred in Leningrad, which lasted from September 8, 1941, to January 17, 1944. During this time, Nazi artillery and airstrikes constantly bombarded the city. Food was scarce, and the winter weather was punishingly cold.

The Hermitage Museum in Leningrad had five buildings and was known for its collection of paintings, including works by Leonardo, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Pablo Picasso. In addition, it held many historical and archaeological artifacts. During its history, it has had to evacuate its collection three times: first, as Napoleon was invading Russia; second, during World War I; and third, during World War II, which is the event Nonie’s parents reference in the book. This evacuation saved much of the collection from the advancing Nazi army. However, the staff was unable to evacuate all the paintings because the Nazis cut the rail lines out of the city during the siege. The staff instead stayed behind to protect the collection themselves. With minimal oversight, they stored paintings and repaired frost-damaged furniture. Throughout the siege, the staff lived under the Hermitage in the basement. Their plight and situation are the inspiration in the novel for Amen and the preservation of the AMNH collections in the face of climate change and the collapse of the American state.

Similarly, the story takes inspiration from the National Museum of Iraq and the measures its staff took during the 2003 invasion of the country. When the US-led coalition invaded and occupied Baghdad in 2009, many cultural sites and landmarks were plundered and destroyed. The National Museum of Iraq had particularly severe damage. Records of its exhibits were partially destroyed, but it’s believed that at least 15,000 exhibits are missing. Before the occupation, curators took several measures to help protect the museum from damage and looters. They built a fortified area to allow safe, concealed movement between the front and rear of the museum. Additionally, they instituted a storage plan to protect many of the larger exhibits that had to be protected with sandbags and foam. These barricades were initially misidentified by US forces as sniper nests and firing positions. The curators remained in the museum until the fighting was only a few blocks away on April 3. Thefts and looting occurred until the museum staff returned on April 10, and they fended off looters until April 16, when US forces were deployed around the museum. While efforts to recover the artifacts persist, the locations of many of the most valuable ones remain unknown. Records reflect several attempts by members of the US Military to smuggle artifacts out of the country. Many of the missing artifacts were stolen at the request of US agencies and private collectors.